Folding trunk



(No Model.) N. ARMSTRONG.

FOLDING TRUNK.

Patented May 21, 1895..

INVENTOR ATTURNEW lNrTE STATES LATENT Enron.

NELLIE ARMSTRONG, OF PORT RICHMOND, NEW YORK' FOLDING TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,403, dated May 21, 1895.

Application filed July 5, 1894, Serial No. 516,522. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NELLIE ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Port Richmond, county of Richmond, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Trunks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar v letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to folding or collapsible trunks, cases, chestsor the like, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which shall be simple of construction, cheap of manufacture, strong and durable, and which may be folded into such a small compass that the body thereof will fit within the cover and the trunk thus be readily transportable when empty.

The invention consists in the novel invent- 1ve construction and arrangement of parts by 4 is a perspective of the same erected, se-' cured together, and ready for use. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. f one end of a trunk embodying a modification of the prior illustrated device.

In the practice of my invention, I construct a base A, which may be of wood, metal, stiffened leather or any other desired material, and has secured thereto longitudinal bars or braces (1. Upon each end and side of the base are secured leather or other flexible strips 12 at the interior of the device and similar strips 0 at the exterior thereof, the said strips projecting beyond the base a distance equal to half their diameter.

Secured between the inner and outer strips 1) and c are the front and rear walls B and B, and the end pieces or walls, 0, Q. Mounted upon the strips 1) and secured to the base and to the various front, rear and end walls B, B,

O O are metallic hinges cl. All four of the said walls areprovided with bars or braces a similar to those upon the base A.

The front and rear walls B, B have secured thereto at each end the clamps D, hinged at the bottom and extending to or nearly to the top of the trunk body. These hinged clamps D have mounted in the top thereof the thumb screws e, whichpass through the same. The ,end pieces 0, C also are provided with metallic angle braces E, of slightly less length than the clamps and adapted when the trunk is in the upright or erected position to, fit between the clamps and the walls, the longitudinal flanges E which comprise part of the said braces being apertured for the passage therethrough of the thumb screws e, which thus rigidly secure the said flanges to the clamp, thereby maintaining the front and rear walls securely to the end pieces, and the whole in an upright and immovable position.

Upon the top of the rear wall B is secured the cover F, which has projecting downwardly therefrom the sides F, which cause the said cover to form a box-shaped body or receptacle. The rear side F of this cover is secured to the wallB by means-of the hinges f. The forward side F has secured thereon a' handle G, and the same, together with the front Wall B, may have secured thereto, respectively, the upper section g and the lower section g 10f the usual or any other approved style of lock.

- The operation or manner of; collapsing and erecting the device will be readily understood and the end pieces 0, are raised to the vertito, or injury to the outside, the inner strips preventing the escape of small articles into the interstices of the trunk, or the catching of its contents between the base and the walls and the clamps and braces serving to render the trunk incapable of collapsing or breaking inwardly by shock or rough handlin gin transportation. The cover moreover being boxshaped, and being hinged in such manner that the same rests almost wholly above the body of the trunk,,available space is thereby added.

It will be observed that the trunk may be rapidly unpacked by collapsing the trunk through the reverse process to that above described for erecting the same, whereupon, the said trunk being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the contents thereof may be readily removed.

"When it is desired to transport the trunk from one place to another while the same is emptied and unused, or where it is desired to store the said trunk in a small space or compass, the same is collapsed by reversely turning the thumb screws e of the clamps D to rethe base A then being flush with the lower edges of the sides F of the cover F, and the whole device assuming the position shown in i Fig. 3. The trunk as thus folded may then be carried in the hand by means of the handle G, and carriage or storage of the same, greatly facilitated. \Vhere desired suitable fastenings may be provided for securing the parts together in the folded state.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modified form of the device, which strengthens the parts where greater strain is anticipated. In this construction, the base A has projecting upwardly therefrom side ribs A, the hinges d being secured to these and to the various walls, the clamps D being secured only to the ribs A and being independent of the said walls. This allows of strengthening the corners of the trunk at the bottom, the said ribs being secured rigidly to the base and to each other, and the corners being further protected by the braces or corner-pieces h, which I also secure upon the cover F. This device folds in like manner as before described, the cover being'of sufficient depth to receive therein not only the base and the walls when the same are folded, but also the rigid side ribs as well.

I do not confine myself to the exact specification and details of construction herein set forth and illustrated, as the same may be changed or varied in many particulars Without materially altering the character of the invention, the essential features, merits, and advantages of which will be manifest.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A collapsible trunk comprising a base,

front, rear, and end walls hinged directly theretoin such manner as to open outwardly to the horizontal position and fold inwardly immediately upon the said base, clamps upon the front and rear walls at the inside, com prising metallic strips extending vertically from top to bottom of the walls, and pivoted to open inwardly, braces upon the end walls adapted to enter between the said strips and the walls, and screws detachably fastening the said braces in the clamps, and a box shaped lid or cover adapted to receive the base and walls wholly within the same when folded, substantially as shown and described.

2. A collapsible trunk comprising a base, rigid front, rear, and end walls hinged directly to the base whereby they will open outwardly to the horizontal position, the front and end walls being adapted to fold upon the base, and the base upon the rear wall, clamps upon the front and rear walls at the inside, comprising metallic strips extending vertically from top to bottom of the walls, and pivoted to open inwardly, braces upon the end walls adapted to enter between the said strips and the walls, and screws detachably fastening the said braces in the clamps, to secure the whole in the upright position, and a box shaped lid or cover hinged to the rear wall and adapted to receive the folded base and walls wholly within the same, substantially as shown and described.

3. A collapsible trunk comprising abase, four rigid walls hinged directly thereto to open outwardly to the horizontal position, and fold inwardly to the horizontal position, clamps upon the front and rear walls at the inside, comprising metallic strips extending vertically from top to bottom of the walls, and pivoted to open inwardly, braces upon the end walls adapted to enter between the said strips and the walls, and screws detachably fastening the said braces in the clamps, and a lid or cover having four depending IIO ITS

flanges to be box shaped, the rear flange being hinged to the rear wall of the trunk, whereby the said cover will receive the folded base and walls wholly within the same, substantially as shown and described.

4. A collapsible trunk comprising a base having flexible strips surrounding the same inside and outside, and projecting therefrom, front and rear walls and end pieces secured between the said strips, hinges at the inside of the trunk secured to the base and the several walls, whereby the same will fold upon the said base, clamps secured upon the in side of the front and rear walls at each end thereof, the same being hinged at one end,

braces, and a box-shaped lid or cover pivoted to the top of the rear wall and adapted to receive the remainder of the trunk wholly Within the same when the said trunk is folded, and a handle upon the front of the cover, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of June,

NELLIE ARMSTRONG. Witnesses:

(3, GERST, PERCY T. GRIFFITH. 

